Actions from mlcMovable Type Pro 5.2.112014-02-11T13:57:47Zhttp://www.witf.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=feed&_type=actions&blog_id=9&id=2374Commented on Smart Talk: Auctioning off electric customers?; 10 years of Facebook in Smart Talktag:www.witf.org,2014:/smart-talk//9.86521#360932014-02-11T13:57:47Zmlc
I was listening to your program on the car radio and wanted to respond to what seemed like your surprise as to why so many customers are still with their default supplier and have not switched.

When customer choice became available in the 90’s, I was one of the first to shop and switch. I will tell you why I lost interest in the program.

First, companies come and go. You spend time, do your research, choose a company, then they disappear. Many of the companies on the list seem very “fly by night.” The default supplier does not.

Some companies offer you a great introductory rate, then it goes up after a certain period. You may or may not be locked into a contract period in which you cannot switch out of that higher rate. And who wants to spend time constantly monitoring electric rates? We trust our default supplier and correct me if I’m wrong, but the default supplier is not allowed to make a profit on the electricity they provide.

Also, there is more than just price to my choice. It was extremely difficult for me to discover what sources many companies use for their electricity generation. As someone who cares about the environment, this was very important in my choice of electric company. Do they generate the electricity they send to the grid with mostly coal, or do they use renewables like solar and wind? Some companies when asked actually refused to provide this information. If I cannot find this information, or find a company that will stick around, I will just go with the default. I know that there are regulations in place requiring them to generate electricity from a certain percentage of renewables.

Frankly, the whole process can be overwhelming and difficult to understand. After the company I had switched to disappeared without any word, I stayed with our default supplier for several years. I have some experience understanding the energy market and what the choice program is about, but the average consumer does not. Is it any wonder that most people don’t bother to switch? It seems much easier for the average consumer to just stay with what they know – the savings is not that much different, most people probably do not care how their energy is produced, there are too many confusing choices, and their default supplier has always been reliable. There are no contracts and the price is the price.

I can't imagine any electric customers would agree to having their electricity contracts auctioned off. I wouldn't, regardless of whether I have chosen a different electric company.

Honestly, what I would be much more interested in being able to shop for is a cable provider!!